1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to IEEE 802.3 and Power over Ethernet (PoE) and, more particularly, to a system and method for dynamic power provisioning for a wireless access point.
2. Introduction
Power over Ethernet (PoE) (also known as inline power and phantom power) specifications such as IEEE 802.3af (PoE) and 802.3at (PoE Plus) provide a framework for delivery of power from power sourcing equipment (PSE) to a powered device (PD) over Ethernet cabling. Various types of PDs exist, including voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless LAN access points, Bluetooth access points, network cameras, computing devices, etc.
Conventionally, the PoE and PoE Plus specifications are designed to work on two-pair cabling using a pair of transformers in the PSE and the PD. PoE is capable of running over a worst case of 100 m on two pairs of Cat 3 cabling and PoE Plus is capable of running on a worst case of 100 m on two pairs of Cat 5 cabling. Implementations of PoE and PoE Plus include multiple instantiations for example over all four pairs. Non-standard four-pair as well as two-pair implementations also exist.
One of the challenges in providing PoE support is the proper allocation of power amongst a plurality of PDs. This is due, in part, to the limited power supply that is available to the PSEs. What is needed therefore is a mechanism that enables a dynamic allocation of power to PDs coupled to the PSEs. This is especially true of those PDs that have highly variable power usage profiles.